Railway gate and control therefor



Feb. 11, 1930.

T. W. BRAZELL RAILWAY GATE AND CCNTROL THEREFOR 2' Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 18, 1928 mmw Quorum Feb. 11, "1930. T, w, B R'AZE L 1,746,238

RAILWAY GATE AND CONTROL THEREFOR Filed May 18, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' 7/ 0Ml6 w 55/12/541.

Patented Feb. 11, 1930 PATENT; OFFICE THOMAS W. BRAZELL, 0F PRINGLE, SOUTH DAKOTA RAILWAY GATE AND CONTROL THEREFOR Application filed May 18, 1928. Serial No. 278,820.

This invention relates to gates for obstructing a highway at a grade crossing, and to means for automatically closing such gates upon the approach of a train or other railway vehicle and for opening the same after the vehicle has passed the crossing.

An object of the invention is to provide effective means for closing and opening the gates, the operation being timed in accordance with the movement of the vehicle, and being effected without impact or destructive effect on the gates.

A further object is to provide an improved gate of the class referred to.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the appended drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of an apparatus embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevation of a part of the apparatus, partly in section, as seen from the left of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 shows the turnstile and one of the gates in its open position.

Referring to Fig. 1, 10 represents the rails of a railway track, and 11 is a highway intersecting the same to form a grade crossing. At each side of the crossing, gates 12 are positioned so as to obstruct the highway when they are closed. At a considerable distance, say five hundred feet, at each side of the crossing an operating mechanism 13, 19 is placed, and cables 14 and 15 connect the operating mechanisms with a turnstile 16. Cables 17 and 18 extend from the turnstile to the gates 12 to open and close them as hereinafter described.

Each operating mechanism 13, 19 constitutes essentially a means for utilizing the kinetic energy of a moving railway vehicle for exerting a pull on one of the cables 14, 15. To this end, each mechanism has a member 20 which extends into the path of the railway vehicle to be moved thereby, and the energy thereby imparted is used to move cable 14 or 15, turnstile 16 and gates 12 to a new position. Any suitable mechanism for accomplishing this purpose may be used, but I prefer that shown in my copending application S. N. 262,349, filed March 17, 1928, for gate operating mechanism.

The turnstile comprises a main bar 21 pivoted at its midsection, and two arms 22, 23 pivoted to the same axis and normally extending perpendicularly to bar 21. Each of the arms is provided with an extension 24 to prevent movement of the arm relative to the bar in one direction, while stops 25 normally prevent rotation in the other direction. Springs 26 urge the arms 22, 23 against their respective stops 25, and cables 14 and 15 are connected to the outer ends of the arms so as to exert a pull opposite to that of the springs. The effect of this arrangement is that a pull on either of cables 14 or 15 will cause rotation of bar 21, but not of the other arm. Cables 17 and 18 extend over pulleys 27 to the gates 12, the cables being preferably enclosed within suitable pipes 30 and embedded in the ground, as shown, for protection.

The framework of each of the gates includes a member 31 to which the gate is pivoted, and a member 32 having at its top a pair of pulleys 33 between which the cable 17 or 18 passes to its point of attachment 34. The gate is provided with a slot 36 in which a ball or balls 37 are movable for the purpose of retaining the gate either in its open or its closed position. A bar 38 is preferably suspended as by chains or the like, from one end of the gate, and balancing weights 40 are similarly suspended from the other end of the gate by chains of such length that the weights will rest on the ground when the gate is open.

In operation, a train moving from left to right as viewed in Fig. 1 first contacts with member 20 of mechanism 13. This actuates the operating mechanism, causing a steady pull to be exerted on cable 14, and arm 22 and bar 21 are thereby rotated in the counterclockwise direction, arm 23 remaining stationary. Cables 17 and 18 are thereby put under tension, and both the gates 12 are moved from their open position to the closed position indicated in'dotted lines in Fig. 2. In this operation, the pull on the cable is 0011- tinned until point 34 comes adjacent pulleys 33, whereupon the balls 37 roll to the other end of their slot 36. Thepull on the cable is then relaxed by mechanism 13, and the momentum of the gate carries it into fully closed position, cable 18 paying out at 33 to allow such action and thereby bringing bar 21 back to its normal position. Springs 26 also draw cable 14 back to its normal position, this action being made possible by the fact that the pull on the cable is relaxed after a predetermined time interval. It will be understood in this connection that gates 12 are at all times substantially balanced, so that the shift ing of balls 37 is sufficient to retain the gate in either open or closed position unless an appreciable force, such as the pull of the cable, is exerted to move it. A

Both gates are thereby closed, and remain closed until the railway vehicle actuates mechanism 19, whereupon a pull is exerted on cable 18 to open the gates in the same manner in which they were closed. The arrangement of pulleys 33 about midway between the open and closed positions of point 34 is such that a pull on the cable closes the gate if it is open and opens it if closed.

Various modifications may be made in the apparatus hereinbefore described without dearting from the spirit of the invention as deed in the following claims.

I claim 1. In a device of the class described, a gate mounted on a horizontal pivot and movable about said pivot to open and closed positions, said gate being substantially balanced with respect to said pivot, a single means operative when the gate is in either of said positions to move it to the other of said positions, and shiftable means associated with said gate tending to prevent its moving from either of said positions to the other of said a positions.

2. In a device of the class described, a gate mounted on an elevated horizontal pivot and movable about said pivot to open and closed positions, a flexible tension member attached adjacent one end of said gate, a pair of pulleys carrying said flexible member and positioned intermediately between the open and closed positions of said end, and shiftable means tending to prevent movement of said gate about said pivot.

3. A device as specified in claim 2, comprising in addition a turnstile having a pivoted bar to which said flexible member is attached, an arm pivoted to said bar and movable onl in one direction relative thereto, a secon cable attached to said arm, and means actuated by a railway vehicle for exerting a pull on said second cable.

4. In a device of the class described, mechanisms spaced from each other adjacent a railway track, cables extending from said mechanisms, said mechanisms being adapted to be actuated by a railway vehicle on said track to exert a ull on said cables, at turnstile having two in ependently movable arms to which said cables are respectively attached, a pivoted bar arranged to be rotated by movement of either of said bars, gates p11 opposite sides of said railway track, and connecting means between said bar and said gates whereby rotation of said bar actuates said gates.

5. In a device of the class described, a gate mounted on a horizontal pivot and movable about said pivot to open and closed positions, said gate being substantially balanced with respect to said pivot, a member attached to said gate, and means whereby the movement of said member in one direction operates when the gate is in either of said positions to move it to the other of said pos tions.

6. In a device of the class described, a gate mounted on a horizontal pivot and movable about said pivot to open and closed positions, said gate being substantially balanced with respect to said pivot, shiftable means associated with said gate tending to prevent its movement from either of said positions to the other of said positions, a flexible member attached to said gate and means whereby the movement of said member operates when the gate is in either of said positions to move it to the other of said positions.

7. In a device of the class described, a gate mounted on a horizontal pivot and movable about said pivot to open and closed positions, said gate being substantially balanced with respect to said pivot, means adapted to be actuated in one direction by a railway vehicle, said means operating when the gate is in either of said positions to move it to the other position.

8. In a device of the class described, a gate mounted on ahorizontal pivot and movable about said pivot to open and closed positions, a cable attached to said gate, means whereby movement of said cable in one direction operates when said gate is in either of said positions to move it to the other position, means adjacent a railway track on either side of said gate adapted to apply a tension to said cable to move said gate upon movement of a railway vehicle )ast said last named means.

T OMAS W. BRAZELL. 

